am I a Big Loser?

I am not a joiner.

I often read about groups or activities that make me think "That sounds like fun! I think maybe I'd like to be part of that."....but I never do anything about it.....Partly because I am not very social with people I don't already know. I'm just not comfortable getting to know new people, especially in a group.....but mostly because I HATE having a commitment to being somewhere on a weekly basis! And it's not about what the commitment is for, either. For instance, I really enjoy Women's Bible Study, but I DO NOT enjoy the commitment of having to be somewhere every Wed. night at 6:30. I have a full time job, 4/10 hour days a week, and that is enough regular commitment for me.

Soooo....how is it, then, that I have found myself being a part of THIS?:

THE VALLEY'S BIGGEST LOSER

My new Doctor, who, by the way, has turned out to be the best decision I've made in a long time, strongly suggested that I participate, "that I was a perfect candidate".

So I now find myself, against every fiber of my being, committed to something 4 TIMES A WEEK for the next 15 weeks!! .....with 200 STRANGERS!! divided in to 4 teams. AND I'M SUPPOSED TO GET TO KNOW MY TEAMMATES REALLY, REALLY WELL so we can support each other during this huge endeavor.

Well, I'm certainly giving this all my best effort and attitude. The ultimate goal, besides weight loss, is a lifestyle change, a healthy lifestyle. I am 52 years old and overweight by 60+ pounds that are starting to cause several health problems, so I don't have time anymore to wait around for a magic solution. There is no more room in my life for procrastination on this issue!! (how's that for effort and attitude?)

Monday nights are Nutrition/Life Coaching seminars.

Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings are fitness workouts, often with team challenges. If you've ever seen the T.V. show, the coaches are taking notes from the show to use for our workouts. Last Saturday we met at the Mall and the coaches made a competition of which team could speed walk the most laps around the Mall in 30 minutes. Tonight we are meeting at a fire station where the Firemen are going to put us through their "recruit conditioning"! AAACK! (I am very afraid...)

And every Saturday morning is an official weigh-in.....oh happy day! Absolute torture for someone who avoids the scale at all costs!...But I'm happy to report that after the first week I'm already down 6 pounds! YAY! Nothing like positive reinforcement to keep the momentum going! Only 13 1/2 more weeks to go!

I can't say that I've made any new friends yet, but I've made it to 6 meetings in the last week and a half!

I don't believe in the saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks", so I'm going to do my darndest to get over my fear of socializing with new people and my hatred of weekly commitments..........

GO TEAM ORANGE!!!